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View Full Version : Serious ELK action!! (pics)



steepNdeep
10-01-2008, 03:04 PM
(no road hunting, though... :razz: ) With a new mouth to feed and running a business, hunting time is scarce and precious and the elk are a few hours away. What I wouldn't give for a weeks vacation to hunt elk!.. (Appreciate your freedom boys! :roll:)

Bonzai Trip #1 - Day 1– Headed to our elk spot that we’ve been hunting for ~6 years and the only response that I got to my bugle was a pack of howling wolves! When I hooked up with my pards after the morning hunt, they said they saw a big black wolf ~300 yards from camp the night before I arrived… I didn’t want to compete with 'pro hunters', :twisted: so I bailed to check out another spot that I’d scouted a bit last year with my bro.

Day 2 - I moved camp, arriving around midnight and hiked up ~an hour as it got light to a sweet saddle that I found the year before which is a well used crossing to the next drainage. After glassing the alpine for muleys and confirming they’d moved down into the timber already, I worked my way down a knife ridge to call into the steep drainages below. After ~ 15 min. I started getting responses and had ~3 bulls going for an hour in the exact same spot they were the year before…one was a growler! However, they were in a hell hole that would take several days to get the meat out, so it was back to the drawing board...

Here's the bottom 1/3 of the mountain (hell hole from the top):
http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/e8-landoelk.jpg

Trip #2 - After a few bullsh!t sessions with a buddy that grew up in the area, I got him psyched and convinced him to hike in with me and go after those bulls. It was thick and steep but we knew very few were dumb enough to go up after them! Definitely not in 'sheep-shape' we were suckin’ wind, but made it up in a few hours.

Similar country:
http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/e8-quad.jpg

Almost as soon as we got up to the quakies, we hit a game trail and I immediately found ~180 muley shed. 8-) Then I looked up and there were two huge elk rubs at the top of the small clearing. We had finally hit their territory… it was still steep and thick, but they were here! I considered just finding the elk in this new country a success. I wanted to get the big bench that I’d seen from above, so we kept climbin’… just as we hit the timber at the top of the patch, we heard a bugle over our panting... :biggrin:
>>>to be continued>>>

Elk territory - thick patches of cover:
http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/e8-shed.jpg

1899
10-01-2008, 03:14 PM
Excellent! More please.:smile:

blackbart
10-01-2008, 04:12 PM
steepNdeep. I like where this thread is going. Looking forward to part 2. Glad to see that the terrain you are hunting lives up to your handle. I know what you mean about the "non-hunting" time constraints that seem to creep into ones life. Forces one to think of quality rather than quantity as relating to time spent afield.

steepNdeep
10-01-2008, 09:33 PM
He was ~150 yards above us in the timber and bugled periodically as we maneuvered downwind over the edge of the into the draw and worked our way up. When we were almost to his elevation we dropped out packs and let out a few mews. He responded immediately and then a bigger sounding bull let one rip with a big chuckle above us in an avalanche chute. The first bull was coming in, so we set up and tried to coax him in as I tried to GPS our packs but it was too thick for a signal. After ~15 min. he was only 40 yards out, but he hung up in some thick alders. I tried to move on him but he spooked a bit and started to move away. The chuckler came a bit closer but shut up after a bit. By this time we only had ~1 hour of light left. There were other bulls bugling where the first one was headed, so we decided to go after them. We followed his tracks sidehilling down the numerous trails and there were fresh track everywhere. We had 2 bulls going, but it seemed that the herd was heading down to water in the creek at the bottom where we started! DOH! We tried to stop them, but we could only get a squealer to come back. We got him into ~50 yards, as it got dark but decided to head back to find our packs with the remaining light.

We managed to find our packs but there were no flat spots for camp so we found three trees on the steep hillside to hang the hammocks. Our bear burritos were amazingly comfortable buy my pard’s 2 grizz stories from his past trips in the valley kept us puckered all night. 2am I heard a big crack 50 yards down in the darkness. I was up with the rifle for the next hour and didn’t sleep much after that.

Heré's camp - steeper than it looks - had to chase my stove, water bottle and shoe way down the mountain...
http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/e8-camp.jpg

Just as it was getting light, we were greeted with the bugle alarm clock :D. The squealer was back and was even attempting some chuckles. One chirp as we packed up camp and he was coming. We wanted to get to on some bigger bulls, so we pushed him and headed down towards the distant bugles. When we got down there, there was a cow in heat that was going off with her estrous whining - first time I've heard a REAL sleazy cow. :shock: There were lanes in the timber that we could see up to 100 yards in various directions so we set up and got in there with our own horney cow calls and played tug-o-war with three bulls. We got a chuckler into about 60 yards but for almost an hour he hung up in a thickl patch. I was getting sick of this and made a move on him, but he backed off in the undergrowth with his cows. Then another chucker chimed in and I tried everything on him sending one guy forward, but he too backed off after ½ hour when I we got too close ~50 yards. I couldn't believe that with all these bulls NOT one stuck his head out! I thought they’d be brave in such a secluded little haven...

It was 9:30 when we decided to split up and start making our way down to the bikes. We ran into Çid again (a bull that sounded like he was on acid), but they were quieting down as they headed up to their beds above our camp. As we neared the valley bottom we met up and just sat down for a rest when we a bull bugled 100 yards away, but was headed up to bed and we were done chasin'...

New pack worked well with teh bike/rifle setup - thx. Brambles.
http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/e8-bike.jpg

No blood, but screamin’ bulls kept the adrenaline flowing for hours night and day. In a new area, we found the bulls right where we thought they’d be and there was no other human sign in their territory. If only I could string a few days together for a serious hunt, We’ll be back early next year and some great memories to keep us psyched and dreaming about the next big hump to the land of the bulls… :cool:

A couple of ?s:
- How many times has a squealer sounding bull turned out to be alot bigger than he sounded and visa versa??? I've never had it happen, but my pard shot a herd bull that had lost his voice... :shock:

- Now that we know their M.O. we've got a plan for next time... What do you do when they hang up in the thick sh!t???

Freshtracks
10-01-2008, 10:03 PM
Another great read S&D ... I'm sure you'll resolve this for next season. Easy on the life stuff ... one has to keep in shape. ;)

ruttinbuck
10-02-2008, 06:13 AM
Great story Steep.
I was right there with ya,enjoyed it thoroughly.You can consider any hunt a sucess when you find that many animals first climb.
Muley hunting starts in three weeks.RB

whitetailsheds
10-02-2008, 07:34 AM
What kind of pack is that in the photo? Good for packing a 10 -12 day trip? How much $ ? Thanks.

Stone Sheep Steve
10-02-2008, 12:00 PM
Great account of the action Dean!!:cool:

Makes me wish I was still out there!

Hope you get another opportunity to get back in there before things slow down.

SSS

Leaseman
10-02-2008, 12:15 PM
That is some serious country....:shock:

Great read, felt like I was there!!!

thanks
Mike

Kody94
10-02-2008, 12:43 PM
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers
4ster

budismyhorse
10-02-2008, 12:48 PM
great story!

I have planned on using hammocks for years but haven't worked it into a hunt yet.....how do you sleep in them? What one do you own?

sneg
10-02-2008, 01:27 PM
good story.good luck with next hunt.

steepNdeep
10-02-2008, 03:26 PM
What kind of pack is that in the photo? Good for packing a 10 -12 day trip? How much $ ? Thanks.

Thanks boys - elk country is good medicine! Thought I'd post one of the many hunts where no shots are fired for the boys getting started. You gotta put in your time... My pard is heading back for 2 weeks and I'm JEALLLOUS!! I'll try and get out for a night...

I researched and debated about packs for quite some time. I finally settled on the Eberlestock Dragonfly J107M because of the built-in rifle scabbard, that works well with my bike. It's versatile expanding from a day pack with many compartments for spotter, camelback, etc. to ~100 litres plus a good exterior attachment system. It is very comfortable, bomber construction and will carry anything that you can... (don't get the J104) Here's teh link: http://eberlestock.com/J107%20Dragonfly.htm

Stone Sheep Steve
10-02-2008, 03:41 PM
I've got the exact same pack, Steep.

When 2-stroke saw it he said "You can't pack an elk out with that!!" I didn't want to get him too excited:p so I grabbed my WW. I didn't want him to think that the "Port'a'Pack" had any competition;-).

I think you'll like it. Great for you bowhunters that like packing heat while you're still hunting or making a stalk.

SSS

steepNdeep
10-02-2008, 03:54 PM
SSS - ya I stopped by 2stroke's today but never mentioned the pack. I actually gave my pard the Port-a-pack to use on that trip - it's hauled allota game and works well, but ain't the most comfortable thing. I needed a new toy anyways... We were plannin' on choppin' off the elk's limbs & head and rollin' it down as far as we could. Then we'd bone it out.

His bear looks GOOD, huh!? BIIG! :cool:

Stone Sheep Steve
10-02-2008, 04:17 PM
His bear looks GOOD, huh!? BIIG! :cool:

Yep! He's a Big Bugger all right! Awesome hide and claws(that we couldn't see in that pic)!! Standing next to that thing sure makes you feel small, eh?!:shock:

SSS

bullmagnum
10-02-2008, 04:43 PM
(don't get the J104)

Mind if I ask why not?

Brambles
10-02-2008, 07:01 PM
Good Job Steep, those hammocks really look easy to find a level spot, I'm finding my tent to be a little difficult to level out at times.....

Kody94
10-02-2008, 07:03 PM
Good Job Steep, those hammocks really look easy to find a level spot, I'm finding my tent to be a little difficult to level out at times.....

I agree. I like the looks of those Hennessey hammocks....just a little bummed there isn't more selection for tall folks.

Cheers,
4ster

Brambles
10-02-2008, 07:09 PM
I agree. I like the looks of those Hennessey hammocks....just a little bummed there isn't more selection for tall folks.

Cheers,
4ster


I think they make one for big guys, SteepN Deep is 6 foot + if I remember.

steepNdeep
10-02-2008, 07:14 PM
great story!

I have planned on using hammocks for years but haven't worked it into a hunt yet.....how do you sleep in them? What one do you own?

At only ~3 lbs, I carry mine as an emergency shelter in my day pack. They have a built-in bug net, rain fly and stabilization cords. The beauty of them:
- don't need flat ground - there was nowhere on the elk patch to pitch a tent
- you don't need a sleeping pad
- they're waaaay more comfortable than the ground.

I sleep on my back or side. They take a bit of gettin' used to, but I'll never go back except in teh snow! I'm 6'2" / 200lbs and my lil' bro is 6'4 / 250 lbs and he had no probs. The bear burrito is the only issue... hand gun would be nice in grizz country 'cause you can only point your rifle one way with the bug net...

Check this out: http://hennessyhammock.com/

Kody94
10-02-2008, 07:36 PM
They have a few models that are rated for over 6'....I just wish their ultralight model for 6+ footers was not a pound heavier than for the under 6 footers.

S-n-D...what model(s) do you and your bro' use? I am about the same size as you (6' 2" - 215 ish).

Cheers,
4ster

budismyhorse
10-02-2008, 08:11 PM
but I'll never go back except in teh snow!

hey thanks for the info.....but why not in the snow?? funny you say that because I was thinking of using one for late season goat hunts......when there is snow around.

Kody94
10-02-2008, 08:40 PM
I think it'd be pretty nippy with no insulation underneath you, bud.

Cheers,
4ster

budismyhorse
10-03-2008, 06:05 AM
yeah that is the part that worries me a bit. even in a good -20 bag I figure you'd be like a hanging piece of meat. but it is tough to find flat tent spots up in the rocks and steep hillsides I hunt goats in. oh well, just a thought.

308BAR
10-03-2008, 07:42 AM
Sounds like a great experience and great photos.

steepNdeep
10-03-2008, 09:21 AM
hey thanks for the info.....but why not in the snow?? funny you say that because I was thinking of using one for late season goat hunts......when there is snow around.

Yeah, 4S is right. I haven't slept in the snow with this thing yet, but I've read it's cold on the bottom because you compress all of your bag's insulation and the cold comes right through. I got a car sun shade with reflective that I use instead of a thermarest. It's super light and bounces the heat back. I think in the snow a thermarest might work. :cool:

To test out my emergency gear in the 2nd week of Sept. I went up to 7,000 ft chasin' muleys and slept in my down jacket and fleece pants in the hammock. I was warm up top, but my a$$ got cold. On the elk trip I had a
-20 bag and I was toasty with the temp @ ~0'.

4S - The three of us that have hammocks are all over 6'/200 and we have the Expedition Asym. When you compare it to a bivy with thermarest it's lighter and more comfortable.

Clint_S
10-03-2008, 11:06 AM
What are one of those hammocks like to sleep in??

BCrams
10-03-2008, 12:50 PM
It was thick and steep but we knew very few were dumb enough to go up after them!


Count me in - I'm dumb enough. :cool:

hunter11
10-03-2008, 01:07 PM
Crazy trip guys. Congrats on the hike that's one hell of a journey. At least you know where they are. Just give em' another year to beef up. Cheers

rocksteady
10-03-2008, 01:30 PM
[quote=steepNdeep;336372]A couple of ?s:
- How many times has a squealer sounding bull turned out to be alot bigger than he sounded and visa versa??? I've never had it happen, but my pard shot a herd bull that had lost his voice... :shock:

Had it several times where I thought it was good herd bull, really raspy whiskey throat and it was just a well tuned 3 point.....

Have also heard a bull at first light, suspected it was just a spiker trying his pipes and he ended up being a massive 5...He would never bugle at me, just yelp..

steepNdeep
10-04-2008, 09:20 AM
Had it several times where I thought it was good herd bull, really raspy whiskey throat and it was just a well tuned 3 point.....

Have also heard a bull at first light, suspected it was just a spiker trying his pipes and he ended up being a massive 5...He would never bugle at me, just yelp..

Thanks Rock! Out of the dozens of bulls that I have called in and seen, I have not had that happen to me. They have pretty much matched their voices, but I always suspected it could happen. I mainly go by their ability to chuckle, since I'm mostly cow calling, the bigger boys usually demand the cow to get her butt over there with a chuckle. Some of the younger bull attempt it, and it's pretty funny! :D

steepNdeep
10-04-2008, 09:23 AM
Count me in - I'm dumb enough. :cool:

If you ever get the urge to chasin' some screamin' southern bulls, come on down! We could always use a pair of legs in 'sheep shape'!! :cool:

mark4
10-04-2008, 10:13 AM
Have you guy's ever noticed that elk have different responses to calls in different places ?? I have one spot where the bulls almost always answer. They are very vocal until about noon it seems.They also come in quite often. Not far from there, but a valley or two over- there are a lot of elk aswell -but these elk are way more call shy and really tend to walk away from any calling- I have seen this with my own eyes. They look up at the sound of the call-then deliberately change direction from where the call came from-mabye someone on a quad called in plain sight of them- I'm not sure.The place with the vocal bulls is deadly for just sneaking up on bugling bulls at first light and not even calling at all- for any reason. It is an open wooded basin about four hundred yards wide-with alder and other thick growth covered edges, with small ridges that run from top to bottom and many well used game trails cutting across the ridges. These same game trails make it easy to walk up quietly and peer over top of each ridge, in the direction of the bugling bull. In this spot I have no need to call - Do you guys have this situation at times ???

steepNdeep
10-04-2008, 06:59 PM
In this spot I have no need to call - Do you guys have this situation at times ???

Mark, Sounds like you have a sweet spot!! At times, the bulls are going by themselves, but it's pretty tough to spot them. They usually stay in the timber or thick stuff and with all the eyes in a herd it's almost impossible to sneak in on them. We usually set up ~60 - 100 yards away from their bugles and coax them in. Spot and stalk country combined with bugling bulls would be the ultimate! How'd it go this year? Are they still buglin'?

mark4
10-04-2008, 07:17 PM
Yes -they are bugling a lot right now- I have seen a lot of bulls but haven't been 100% on a six yet. 100 % on quite a few fivers. In the place I hunt, the elk come out of the alpine in early october. They head down the mountain to join cows and eat the vegetation that is in the flatlands. If you spot a good bull way up there he will end up much lower on the mountain range in october- If you are on the ball you can get that bull if you pay attention to exactly where he is and where he is likely to be in the next couple days. Right now I am trying to get in front of an elk herd that climbs the mountain very early in the morning and just about always heads up this one ridge that is way in there. Two mornings in a row I have ended up dogging them all the way up this nice game trail- they are bugling away and I can't get close enough for a shot because I am BEHIND the herd which is NOT where I want to be. I need to get in front of them- in the dark- and wait for them to come through in this situation -or set up a sleeper stand.

rocksteady
10-04-2008, 07:23 PM
The low elevation elk around Cranbrook have totally shut up....I have not heard a bugle in over 10 days.....

Went out this morning and snuck into the spot that I got my whitey doe and saw about a dozen cows and calves...No bull seemed to be with them (maybe he was ahead of them or I only saw part of the herd ???)

Got absolutely soaked to the bone today....

Left town at 6:00, light sprinkle, 6:05 - Monsoon, 6:15 Light sprinkle....Hike in....7:00 start to see the elk, watched them for 30 minutes or so, 7:30 or so - Monsoon again.....

Oh well, guess its better than the blazing heat....

Hopefully tomorrow is a little nicer...

6616
10-04-2008, 07:29 PM
[quote=steepNdeep;336372]A couple of ?s:
- How many times has a squealer sounding bull turned out to be alot bigger than he sounded and visa versa??? I've never had it happen, but my pard shot a herd bull that had lost his voice... :shock:

Had it several times where I thought it was good herd bull, really raspy whiskey throat and it was just a well tuned 3 point.....

Have also heard a bull at first light, suspected it was just a spiker trying his pipes and he ended up being a massive 5...He would never bugle at me, just yelp..

Once got on a real growler, assumed he must be a big bull, hunted him for 2 days just to get a look and he turned out to be a rag horn.

mark4
10-04-2008, 08:01 PM
I am thinking those elk around Cranbrook are highly educated lol. This sounds like a couple of my spots- the elk are there but they aren't very vocal and they don't answer much at all. I find this situation a lot harder to hunt. When this happens I try to get in between the elk herds feeding area -and their bedding area. Most of the time they seem to feed low in the fields at night - then travel up high to bed at first light.Well used game trails leading up the mountain away from these feeding fields is a good place to wait if you can get in there undetected. It still isn't easy to ambush them because they seem to take a slightly different route every morning as they feed on new growth that hasn't been picked over on their previous journeys heading up. It is harder than it sounds- but the tactic does work if you stick to it and figure out what the local elk are doing on a day to day basis. Try not to spook them bigtime- sometimes I will purposely leave them alone then try again the next day. I try to position myself where I can shoot if need be and quietly watch several trails that all lead generally the same way-UP THE MOUNTAIN- Again much easier said than done- One of the mornings you will get it right -and you might get a crack at a six on his way up the mountain to bed. I have shot five six pointers this way- it is very exciting seeing the herd start to file by you and you know the bull is at the back but he's on his way. I got soaked today too, lol -don't like it that wet for elk hunting but I usually still go cause ya never know. I have heard those elk are more likely to feed in the fields at night when it rains all night.

bigben
01-07-2009, 02:18 PM
sound s like your in the west kootenays same type of terrain I hunted bulls everywhere and futher away from the road more game good luck

BlacktailStalker
01-07-2009, 06:03 PM
Nice read, nice trips. May have commented on it before but its worth it again, good for you.
IF they're hanging up in the thick stuff, get the caller to go further back and you sit off to the side of where you anticipate the bull coming in (the buddy system)
Good luck this year!

shadowhunter
01-07-2009, 06:16 PM
I see you use hennesy hammocks they are excelent great story

hunter1947
01-08-2009, 06:37 AM
What I would do in a case like this is first off make sure your down wind ,then have lots of elk scent to put on as for cover scent.


I would not be scared to give a few bugles but don't give any chuckles at the end ,this is a challenge when an elk chuckles at the end of his bugle.

Don't over do the bugling copy him and no other ,if he calls you go right back to him with a bugle then wait for him to make his next move.

Elk can tell where you are within 10 feet after you have gave a call even when there out at 300 yards or further.

When you have the elk in within 100 yards give a few sequels and see what he does after this.

When you get within 200 years of a bull that has been talking back to you ,then set up the buddy system and one shooter will be up in front of the caller at about 60 yards.

The shooter does not do any calling only your Buddy behind you ,the shooter just waits and keep a darn good eye open for a bull coming in ,sometimes the bull will come in and you will not even here him come.

Very nice story you put up on the forum and I hope you and your partner gets him this year ,good luck http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif.